Review: Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) [Reviewed By Clifford Kiyabu]

Directed by: Kevin Smith
Written by: Kevin Smith (written by)
Genre: Comedy / Romance
MPAA: Rated R on appeal for strong crude sexual content including dialogue, graphic nudity and pervasive language.
Released: 31 October 2008 (USA)
Starring: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Jason Mewes, Katie Morgan, Craig Robinson, Traci Lords

Plot: Two lifelong platonic friends, strapped for cash and deep in debt, decide to make a porno as a quick way to make ends meet.

Review: 8/10

The Story is about: Lifelong platonic friends Zack and Miri look to solve their respective cash-flow problems by making an adult film together. As the cameras roll, however, the duo begins to sense that they may have more feelings for each other than they previously thought.

My Thoughts: Sex is one of life’s most natural and beautiful things, yet when expressing such in a certain manner that allows others to view it; it’s suddenly considered obscene, crude and very much wrong to the full extent. Yet as vial and controversial the topic of Pornography is: People cannot get enough of it. Love it or hate there is always someone somewhere out there talking, watching, or simply making porn. Of course it could easily be said that the reason behind this is because people always want what they are told is “Bad” for them. The thing is no one has had the guts to make porn a friendly topic to talk about in the public eye.

However that is until renown Writer-Director Kevin Smith came along with his controversially hilarious film. Zack and Miri Make a Porno. A comedy that isn’t afraid to tell it like it is when it comes to the ever so taboo topic! And the raunchy comedy is much more vulgar and cruder than any film I have seen in its genre in years, than again calling it raunchy actually makes it sound weaker than it actually is, a notch below soft-core porn would actually be more appropriate for a film like this [Laughs]. But don’t think this film is all about sex and nothing else, no sir; it does in fact have a magnificently written plot that has a great deal of heart and soul poured into, which believe me is a rare commodity to get out of viewing modern raunchy comedies such as this. Most filmmakers tend to void a good plot and fine quality writing just so they can expose more flesh than is actually needed on screen, but what Smith’s film Zack and Miri does that’s different than other films is offer up smart intellectual quality writing at its best, while at the same time maintaining a no holds bare sense of humor filled with obscenity. The pacing of the film goes quite nicely, although I do wish the film was a little longer than an hour and forty minutes, I mean I just felt the film could have gone on longer than it did because the end result leaves you wanting much more, but after knowing that the film was threatened with an NC-17 rating by the MPAA unless director Kevin Smith skimmed down some of the more explicit scenes in the film (Which comes natural with this type of genre) it was understandable why it felt a little cut short. However that was until I found out that it was skimmed down not once but twice because of the rating system, and only after Smith had it appealed was it finally given the hard R-rating it should have gotten in the first place.

But still, as much as it was cut down, it still remained as dirty and offbeat as his other memorable films, which believe me, is a pleasure indeed. This could easily be called Smith’s return to hard core comedy; it seemed that after his less crude more family friendly film Jersey Girl was realest, many loyal to his work had questioned his talent as a director and contemplated on rather or not he had gone soft on his audience after all these years of directing, I myself enjoyed the film but knew exactly what his fan base meant, smith is known for making films that are generally for an adult targeted audience, and even after he had made the long awaited sequel to his cult classic film Clerks, some had complained that the magic behind the first film was missing in the sequel Clerks II. However he returns to his roots of movie making with Zack and Miri, and much like his previous works back in the day, this too continues the tradition of offbeat, out of control and against the well comedy while presenting an important and strong message within the film. The thing that makes Zack and Miri such a great film is actually each of the individual characters Smith has, you can’t help but feel like you’re alongside them in the thick of it all, which could easily be understood, after all this film is partly based off the real life experience director Kevin Smith had while making his independent film (Clerks). Smith delivers a strong and stern message to his audience through his characters about hanging in there when life deals you a bad hand and how to deal with the S*** that life throws at you but does so in a manner that will have many crying with tears of laughter. Overall, Zack and Miri was a film that made me laugh and cry, and stayed with me days after I had seen it. It’s defiantly a film worth owning than alone seeing.

As for the acting: this film is filled with a fantastically funny and talented cast that is built of both mainstream and adult entertainment. Funny man Seth Rogen does an incredible job performing alongside the beautiful and talented Elizabeth Banks, both of which has gained mega stratum status over the last few years, it wasn’t long ago these two where at ”supportive” actor status and never getting the lead roles, but now days these two are becoming quite commodity in demand. Well they do extremely well in this, their onscreen chemistry works on such a lovely level, that you almost want these two to really end up with each other in real life. Craig Robinson who is hilarious from the hit show "The Office" offers up that offbeat sense of humor of his in this that works so nicely it’s hard not to laugh whenever he’s on screen. Jason Mewes, who has long been Kevin Smith’s partner in crime may have returned on the big screen without his buddy backing him up as his onscreen partner, shows that he can carry pull his own weight all by himself in the role “Lester” a character I truly believe no other actor on the planet could have played better than him [Laughs.] both Katie Morgan and Traci Lords does a magnificent job in this. If you don’t know who either of them is than obviously you’re ether not old enough to be watching a film like this or too much of a prude to understand the shear brilliance of having Traci Lords, one of the all time biggest and controversial adult film stars of the 1980’s work side by side with Katie Morgan, who is easily the most well known adult film stars in the business today, the idea of having the best of two eras working alongside each other is simply brilliant, and works incredibly well. Ricky Mabe does okay, but honestly I wasn’t too keen about his performance in the film. Lastly, the film has a nice set of cameos by many well known faces in Hollywood, two of which that stood out well in the film was none other than Brandon Routh and Justin Long, who play two gay porn stars, and believe me when I say their scenes may be sort and few in the film, but trust when I say they do not fail to make you laugh until you cry.

Final Say: Zack and Miri Make a Porno was an extremely enjoyable film, and it’s easily Kevin Smith’s return to what he does best at, making people laugh and cry at the cinema. While the film may have a few lows and flaws here and there, it still a worth watching film for movie buffs alike, and a must own for any true Smith fan. I highly recommend it!

Copyright 2009 TCWreviews.com
All Rights Reserved

Review: I Love You, Man (2009) [Reviewed By Clifford Kiyabu]

Directed by: John Hamburg
Written by: John Hamburg (screenplay) & Larry Levin (screenplay)
Genre: Comedy / Romance
MPAA: Rated R for pervasive language, including crude and sexual references.
Released: 20 March 2009 (USA)
Starring: Paul Rudd, Rashida Jones, Jason Segel, Sarah Burns, Jaime Pressly, Jon Favreau, Jane Curtin, J.K. Simmons, Andy Samberg.

Plot: Friendless Peter Klaven goes on a series of man-dates to find a Best Man for his wedding. But when his insta-bond with his new B.F.F. puts a strain on his relationship with his fiancée, can the trio learn to live happily ever after?

Review: 8/10

The Story is about: Peter Klaven is a successful real estate agent who, upon getting engaged to the woman of his dreams, Zooey, discovers, to his dismay and chagrin, that he has no male friend close enough to serve as his Best Man. Peter immediately sets out to rectify the situation, embarking on a series of bizarre and awkward "man-dates," before meeting Sydney Fife, a charming, opinionated man with whom he instantly bonds. But the closer the two men get, the more Peter's relationship with Zooey suffers, ultimately forcing him to choose between his fiancée and his new found "bro," in a story that comically explores what it truly means to be a "friend."

My Thoughts: When we’re young, we are taught that when making new friends with other kids, we simply walking up to one and another and say “Hi want to be friends?” As children boys make lots of friends growing up, some of whom will end up sticking around long enough to become best friends later on as adults.

As an adult some men will make friends through other sources other than the childhood school yard, such as the work place, and meeting new friends through other friends. You could say that there ‘s an un-official guide to making friends when you look at it from a different stand point, however there is one question this un-heard of yet commonly used guide has yet to have answers for us. If a man is in his 30’s and have never had any real guy friends, how does he go about making real legitimate guy friends in today’s day and age? I was extremely stumped with trying to figure out the answer to this question after watching the film I Love You, Man. A romantic comedy about bromancing, for those who don’t know the term of bromancing, bromance is the term used when two straight men shear a none sexual love and affection for each other (Information found via Wikipedia.) Call me old fashion, but I personally don’t care to use any word that combines the word “Bro” and “Mance” together as one word, perhaps it’s my inability to evolve into a more modern age man, but I prefer to use the term “Friendship” when referring to a friend. Anyway despite what I just said, the meaning of bromancing works extremely well for the film as it does present some of the most awkward of scenes between the main characters that sprout into some very hilarious moments that had me surprisingly laughing aloud. What really makes the concept so hilarious is the fact that: in all honesty this is a subject many guys probably will never encounter in their lifetime, and before going further, let me point out that there is a big difference between making a friend and making a best friend, and that one shouldn’t be confused with the other.

So the film jumps right into the concept of how a man in his mid-30’s who is getting married to the woman he loves and is happy having her as the closest thing he has to a friend, only to suddenly feel the need to makes a best guy friend before after over hearing his wife’s girlfriends talking about how awkward and utterly humiliated the wedding will be if he doesn’t have a best man, the message the film gives is it’s not as simple for grown men to makes friends as easily as one would like, because as evolved as man have become, we are very much still in that stone age sense of not being able to move past our common fears and experiencing the awkward feeling of rejection and making a fool of one’s self in front of their fellow man. The film is a very comedic and yet sometimes honest take on the horrid subject that is incredibly hilarious and touching, and will have moviegoers feeling good afterwards. The only problems I had was a few problems. The first being the fact that the film’s main plot is surrounded by awkward style humor which believe me I have no problem with at all because it does work nicely, however it does take its toll at times and some of the scenes can get a little over done to that point where you just feel bad for the characters rather than laughing your butt off at the scene. The film’s pacing does move a little slow at first which does drag on a little bit which unless you believe that patience is a virtue you might have some problems waiting before the main plot picks up, however it does make up for itself when the potty mouthed humor begins with the main plot. The only other problem I had was regarding the choices made on a couple of cast members in the film, which I’ll get into in just a bit don’t you worry, but know beforehand that this negative part is easily forgiven by me after the fact awesome legendry rock back RUSH is not only mentioned and their music played throughout the film’s course, but they themselves make a nice cameo performance in it.

As for the acting: the acting is pretty solid, with the exception of a few bad apples. Paul Rudd is a fairly decent actor with an adequate résumé of past films, however I do find it sad to see that as an actor he is stuck in a cul-de-sac or a safety-net if you will of ‘safe films’, it seems that he only does comedies in today’s day and age which is a bit disappointing because I remember it wasn’t too long ago when he was a young and up and coming actor that was starring or co-starring in film of different genres, but now only seems to stick to the funny films and nothing more. However he does in fact do pretty well for himself in this film with his awkward sense of humor which works nicely, though I will recommend he at least try to explore a much broader horizon in the future or otherwise he may end up becoming a one trick pony. Rashida Jones gave a very enjoyable and entertaining performance, her ability to give a pleasing performance comes from the fact she is a lovely blend of sexy and humorous, she can make you laugh and look naturally attractive on screen without having to wear a pound and a half of makeup just to look half as good, which is a pleasantly rare commodity to have. Funny man Jason Segel from T.V’s "How I Met Your Mother" and from last year’s box office hit “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” gave a rather un-entertaining performance in the film, and it’s partly due to his inability to show more aggression in character, it’s nothing personal, I have nothing against the guy, he did after all do incredibly well in FSM with his style of comedy, but sadly his acting came off rather lazy in this time around with a performance that is so laid back that you hard notice any effort what-so-ever from his part. The rest of the cast did fairly well, from well known names like: Jon Favreau, Jane Curtin, J.K. Simmons, and Jaime Pressly just to name a few, all did fantastic jobs in their roles, the only one I didn’t quite a agree with was actor Andy Samberg, don’t get me wrong, the man is a hilarious comedian, but an actor he is not! Trust me when I say: I got as much enjoyment out of his performance in this film as I did with his 2007 lackluster film “Hot Rod”.

Final Say: I Love You, Man is a cleverly witty and let loose fun comedy that will have you laughing you butt off, and despite its flows it makes up greatly for itself as a great laid back and let loose film that fits perfectly as a date night film for couples looking to spend the night indoors on the couch, and a damn good time for your average moviegoer. I highly recommend it!

Copyright 2009 TCWreviews.com
All Rights Reserved

Review: The Last Lullaby (2009) [Reviewed By Clifford Kiyabu]

Directed by: Jeffrey Goodman
Written by: Peter Biegen (screenplay) & Max Allan Collins (screenplay)
Genre: Mystery
MPAA: Rated R for violence and language.
Released: 2009
Starring: Tom Sizemore, Sasha Alexander, Bill Smitrovich, Sprague Grayden, Omid Abtahi, Ray McKinnon, Randall Batinkoff.

Plot: A retired and weary Hitman comes out of retirement after being presented with an opportunity to make a quick buck in what would be an easy hit but instead found something of more meaning than money, now he must choose between carrying out the order he was hired for or venturing forth into the unknown.

Review: 7/10

The Story is about: Price, a former Hitman, is struggling to cope with retirement. He left the assassination business to live the "easy life." However, retirement arrived with its own agenda. It was not the instant peace and calm that Price expected. Rather, it was emptiness, boredom, and, worst of all, restlessness. Price is plummeted back into his old life and forces him into a corner from which he may never escape. Price's old ways no longer work for him when his heart opens, and he finds life beyond his profession. The tension finally boils, as Price must decide to close himself off again or open himself up to a world beyond his control.

My Thoughts: Someone once said “You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.” For those who have taken but never given back in return will reap what they sow, as for the life of an assassin or as they are called in more modern times, ‘contract killers.’ Living life is quite simple in the sense of only taking but never really giving back, they take payment in exchange for taking the life of others; everything in the life of an assassin is up for the taking, but never giving back. And so because of this they live the ending chapters of their lives empty inside and alone, an ironic sense of misery can be seen in the light of this, because though the ideology of being a killer for hire may make one ‘rich fast,’ it still leaves the mind and soul weary and filled with an endless herd of sleepless nights.

Much like all tales of murder, the cinema has shown over the years that, to kill one mustn’t have a conscience within them for if they do they will encounter an existence of misery filled with loneliness and the ever so widening void of emptiness. Recently I viewed a privet screening of actor Tom Sizemore’s latest film The Last Lullaby, which is the directorial debut of up and coming director Jeffrey Goodman. Goodman brings forth a film that presents the concept of having to deal with the emptiness that resides within all who face retirement after serving a life long career of doing what they are best at, that sense of purpose that drives us is no longer there, and suddenly we’re searching for it again someway somehow, especially if you’re a former assassin for hire like the film’s main character. The Last Lullaby showcases the tale about a contract kill named, Price (Sizemore) a man whose conscience come into play after coming out of retirement for one last job only to gain romantic feelings for his latest contracted hit. Unlike most films in its genre, Last Lullaby seems to bring something other films lack in, and that’s its sense of realism and legitimacy in the face of what a real life bought and paid for killer really is. Unlike many films which always depict a Hitman as a well built well skilled killer without a single inch of fear within them. However this is a very common mistake you see, because the real life killers don’t look anything like Hollywood’s elite A-list faces, they’re not like Jason Born nor are they at all fashion experts, because if they were than there wouldn’t be a reason for taking on such a bloody risky job now would there? No, real killers look just like you and me, they have their problems and daily struggles just like you and me, and much in the same respect live lives quite the same. Which is basically what this film shows, it shows that even the most harden of people go through the motions of emotional pain and problems as we do, and at the end of the day must make the same moral decisions as every other person.

The film is a terrific hybrid between a classic style noir and modern age noir that showcases the movie with a richly dark emotional undertone that seems to carry the film without ease, that at times there are moments where the actors body language is saying so much to the viewers without so much as a word being spoken, however I admit that when I started watching it I felt the film was running on a very slow pace for my taste, but after awhile it grew on me, because the film isn’t meant to be a fast paced loose action film, but rather a film in which develops slowly and allows the viewers to appreciate everything as a hole rather than one or two things individually. However there are a few things that I had problems with, both are in regard to the beginning and that ending of the film, the first being the fact that in the film, the events the eventually opens the way for the main plot to take place was just way too coincidental and came off a little cheesy in the sense, and for some, this may give the viewer an incoherent understanding of the film from the star unless they are a 110% focused on the story and nothing else. The other problem I had with the film was its ending, the problem was within the ending its self but rather in the false sense of buildup of a milled climatic ending, the ending gives you the impression that it will end with some kind of big boom, and yet it still does more or less, but just not the one I was hoping for, but other than that I thought the film was very enjoyable and despite the slight disappointment, it’s still worth looking into.

As for the acting: Well, what can I say about actor Tom Sizemore that hasn’t already been said by someone else? He has preformed alongside some of the biggest of A-list celebrities and worked with some of the greatest filmmakers of our time. He’s been in some of the best films the 90’s has to offer, and has been highly praised for his acting talent by moviegoers for past work. And yet, a few personal mistakes take place in life and suddenly he’s demonized for it, I won’t dare to defend his actions of the last recent years nor do I agree with them, but one cannot deny that even with his flows he is an actor of great talent, and gave a performance that is nothing short of superb! His performance clearly shows a sense of sincerity that displays real life pain and emotion that connects the viewers to the character on a somewhat personal level that works quite nicely, though he does show a few rough spots in his performances from time to time it doesn’t hurt the film all that much and in some way adds depth to the character. Sasha Alexander was adequately satisfying, but I admit that other than the fact she used to be a part of the cast for the hit show ‘NCIS’ I know very little about her in general, but what I have seen of her in Last Lullaby does prove to be entertaining as performances goes, and warrants a closer look into her career on past, present and future works. Bill Smitrovich was fantastic in this, he’s one of those actors that you either enjoy watching him play one of the good guys in a film, or simply love to hate him as a villain, and in my opinion he gives the film exactly what is needed to balance it out nicely and gives a top notch performance. Ray McKinnon does a fairly good job, though at time I felt his performance to be lacking a tad bit, however he does give an acceptable performance none the less. The rest of the cast did pretty okay, but nothing memorable that’s worth mentioning here, and I simply live it at that.

Final Say: The Last Lullaby was a very entertaining piece that proved to be engaging and enjoyable. The film points out two great things, the first being director Jeffrey Goodman is a name to keep an eye out for in the near future, and the other being actor Tom Sizemore may have taken a few heavy blows by the public, but this old dog has still got some fight left in him yet. Overall, even though I had a few disagreements with the film on some levels, I still had a great time watching it. I recommend it!

Copyright 2009 TCWreviews.com
All Rights Reserved

Review: Red Velvet (2009) [Reviewed By Clifford Kiyabu]

Directed by: Bruce Dickson
Written by: Bruce Dickson & Joe Moe
Genre: Horror
MPAA: Not Rated
Released: 28 August 2009 (USA)
Starring: Henry Thomas, Kelli Garner, Cristen Coppen, Michele Nordin, Bret Roberts, Eric Jungmann, Natalia Baron, Kevin Wheatley, Ryan Doom.

Plot: A man and a young woman have a chance encounter at a Laundromat which leads to a story about a birthday party where everyone has been killed by a madman in a white jumpsuit.

Review: 7/10

The story is about: A young man and young woman who meet at a Laundromat turn a simple laundry day into an afternoon lunch date. As they get to know each other, bizarre stories begin to unfold, some fact, some fiction about each other's past. Eventually, the Young Man delves into a story about a birthday party whose guests began to be systematically killed off by a maniac in a white jump suit. The Young Woman, oddly enough, becomes more and more intrigued with the tale as the mayhem mounts. Is this the beginning of a beautiful relationship or a building block leading to a day ending in madness beyond fairy tales?

My thoughts: What’s in a horror story that attracts so many into its web of death and dismemberment? No matter what a person’s beliefs or lifestyle may be, we are all so driven into wanting to feel the thrill of fear. May it be on a supernatural scale or your typical slasher flick, everyone loves a good story, especially a scary story, even those who claim to dislike the genre still hold a curiosity towards it, because deep down everyone loves the thrill of fear because fear is what gets our hearts pumping and we get a certain sense of enjoyment out of watching others suffer at the hands of an evil force. To which you could say that to a certain sense that makes everyone just a bit cynical deep down inside for that matter. When I sat down to watch a film called Red Velvet I thought to myself that: it would be just another sad case of modern horror trying to be a carbon copy of previous films in its genre, but to my surprise this film was nothing of the sort, in fact it was a return to the iconic slasher area of the 1970’s and 1980’s, or as I like to call it the ‘GOLDEN AGE’ of horror films. But don’t let that give you the impression that this film is only for old school horror fanatics like me. But instead the exact opposite, the film, though it’s style may give one the impression that it’s trying to copy films of old it’s actually paying homage to the good old fashion horror genre while at the same time dismantling the original ideology behind it and coming into its own as a bloody stylish slice of gory entertainment.

This film is a gruesomely delightful blend of old school meets modern as a new hybrid class of horror and has a lovely touch of originality that hasn’t been seen in its genre in a very long time, the film’s plot is a very unique one that was (And this may come to you as a shock to hear me say it) original and kept me on my toes pretty much the whole way with twists and turns that will keep you guessing. And let me not forget to mention the horrific kills, oh the kills is the thing which really makes it so eye catching at times because though it may not be a huge kill count like some films, the death scenes are so unique from each other that it will stay with the viewer after it’s over, which really show how much the filmmakers are thinking outside of the box with this one. Without giving away too much spoilers, one of the graphic death scenes includes a man being gruesomely cut in two with a two-man saw right down the middle of his head. And if that wasn’t enough it appears that the filmmakers have a very sickly twisted sense of humor for that matter, which to be honest is actually a good thing because some horror films need a little humor in it every now and then and with Red Velvet the viewers get exactly that, it gives the viewers something to laugh inwardly about even during the most disgusting and disturbing of death scenes. But don’t let that description make you think the film is all about death and jokes (not entirely that is). Because the film does have a strangely bizarre side that one could say is almost dreamlike and surreal in the same manner that ‘Donnie Darko’ and ‘Psycho’ was, sort of speak. And for me it was a very thought provoking movie because it’s bizarre dark undertone doesn’t just touch the film’s plot, but every single detail of the film is covered in it.

The film in its entirety is so incredibly rich in colors and artsy style cinematography that it’s like being stuck in a madman’s dream with no clear escape in sight, but in a good way. What makes this film truly entertaining though is the seemingly adventures imagination the two main characters’ Aaron and Linda (Played by Henry Thomas and Kelli Garner) have. As the film starts off with a bummed out Linda who encounters an angered Aaron at a Laundromat by chance (even though they’ve been next door neighbors for an incredible long time) they don’t quite hit it off so well at first as the two are in a consent argument over each other, but after some time settles between them, it leads to Aaron telling a story about a birthday party where everyone is killed by a crazed killer that is unlike any other I’ve seen in quite some time. My only problem I had was that the film doesn’t give the main characters enough development for the viewers to appreciate them enough to feel anything for them and because of this there’s an emotional disconnection from the characters if only there was a little more development done I would have felt something for them whether than feeling nothing at all in their most darkest moments. However, even though the film lacks in character development, it does very much entertain. And like all film I watched I did a little research, and to my surprise I learned that the filmmakers are from Hawaii (the island of Oahu to be exact) which honestly makes a lot of sense after watching this, because there were some hints in the film that gave me the impression that they either was from Hawaii or visited the islands at some point, and take it from someone who’s from the islands like myself, it’s clear that though they may have left Hawaii, Hawaii has not left them.

As for the acting: Well, what can I say? It’s pretty much a mix bag on this one. While I thought some of the actors did great and some fairly good, I also thought some were just awful. Henry Thomas did a fine job in the role of ‘Aaron’, it’s clear that he put some hard work into his performance, and it’s nice seeing him in a fairly decent starring role again. it’s just too bad he isn’t a lead star in much more films now days, because he’s a much under-used talent in the business and it’s sad to see good talent like that go to waste. Kelli Garner was excellent as the ‘Linda’ she gave the character a lovely blend of saucy meets sexy, and I have no doubt that it won’t be long before this little vixen starts making a real name for herself in the business. Eric Jungmann did okay, though I was a little disappointed with his performance overall, because I remember him from his earlier years as an up an coming actor when he started appearing in minor roles in films like “Varsity Blues” and the not so humorous parody film “Not Another Teen Movie”, I really thought that with ten years of experience on his résumé he would gotten out of the position of always being ‘THAT GUY’ in all the films. And it seems that not only has he remained stuck in a rut, but he hasn’t expanded his ability to perform outside of his surroundings as an actor nor has he bettered the quality of it either. However I’ll still hang on to the hope and idea that he’ll broaden his career in the near future. Michele Nordin was moderately sufficient in her performance but was not entertainingly appealing to me, aside from her showing off her assets (And what fantastic looking assets they are!) I didn’t quite see anything about her in general that would make her stand out individually in the film, other than the fact she’s just eye candy thrown on screen for the male audience’s pleasure she seemed rather two dimensional and because of this I just could not relate to her character in the film nor her performance. Bret Roberts was great; I honestly tip my hat to him for giving a really good performance because few actors can pull off what he did in the film. First he was heterosexual in one part of the film and then he has a change of character later on where he becomes homosexual and pulls both off in a rather believable manner. Cristen Coppen and Natalia Baron was okay, but much like Michele Nordin, I didn’t find anything eye catching with their performances that would make them stand out in the film. Ryan Doom and Kevin Wheatley were my two lest liked actors in the film, because while I felt Doom over did his character to the point in which it came off as unbelievable, Wheatley came off as annoying to me because he really didn’t fit in with the rest of the group and seemed more like the un-cool dork trying to hang with the cool kids which I found to be such an overdone stereotype.

Final Say: Red Velvet was a very (Dare I say it) bloody entertaining film for me, and though I may have had a slight disagreement or two with certain parts of the film, I really had a lot of fun viewing it’s campy yet disturbing undertone and wouldn’t mind revisiting this coming of age horror film one day. I recommend it!

Copyright 2009 TCWreviews.com
All Rights Reserved

Review: Knuckle Draggers (2009) [Reviewed By Clifford Kiyabu]

Directed by: Alex Ranarivelo
Written by: Alex Ranarivelo
Genre: Comedy / Romance
MPAA: Not Rated
Released: 2009
Starring: Ross McCall, Paul J. Alessi, Amie Barsky, Danielle Nicolet, Justin Baldoni, Jennifer Alden, Serah D'Lain, Brandon Olive, Omar Gooding, Lisa Waltz, Jillian Murray, Matthew Rimmer, Ashley A. Schultz, Katrina Law, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Ben Brannon, Dan Brinkle

Plot: After the girl of his dreams dumps him, a nice guy (Ethan) recruits his misogynist brother (Kyle) to help him win her back.

Review: 8/10

The story is about: "Knuckle Draggers" takes a realistic, but comic look at how the behaviors of men and women have evolved very little since the caveman times. When Ethan, the needy nice guy, is dumped by his fiancée, he asks his misogynist older brother Kyle to help him win her back. Kyle tries to teach Ethan how to act like "a real man" and to never put a woman on a pedestal. Repulsed by his brother's harsh views on how to treat women, Ethan ignores his advice and ventures out into the dating world, where he slowly realizes that everything Kyle says seems to be true.

My Thoughts: What makes a man a man? Is it measured in his self confidence, his successes, his tough and arrogant nature, or is a man's true worth of being attractive to the opposite sex measured in his inner sensitivity? Whatever the answer may be, the one that most men look to is: what do women really want in a man? The answer isn’t as simple as men would hope, nor is it any easier the other way around for their female counterpart which is what really divide men and women into being opposites, men want apples and women want oranges simple as that, right? WRONG! nothing is ever that simple when swimming through these waters, but as the saying goes, ‘opposites attract!’

I recently dived into a fantastic film called Knuckle Draggers, a delightful romantic comedy that digs deep into the relationship problems from a man’s perspective. From nasty break ups to the lost of that spark in a relationship, the film doesn’t hold back on the issues and in fact brings some very valid points to the table that will have people thinking: with everything we human beings have achieved, have we yet to evolve from our primal selves? The answer is no (I just know I’m going to have a lot of people angry at me for what I’m about to say next) because what the film clearly points out which does make a lot of sense when you think about it is that: men and women still carry the very mentality of the “caveman”, most (not all) women want the perfect mate to spend their lives with but tend to settle for the lesser of the pack and go beneath their standards for the un-evolved male all for the sake of security and safety, while men may want the perfect intellectual mate that will not only pervade for their offspring but also remain a free thinking individual, will often at times settle for the most basic and sometimes degrading of choices, physical attraction over intellect (Because let’s face it, not all men think with their heads, or at least not the head you have in mind). This of course can easily be summed up to the fact that the dating scene hasn’t really changed since the days of fire and brimstone, and because of this we are brought up with a mentality of fallowing what our primal instincts are telling us to do and not what are hearts are saying. The film shows a lovely take from both sides of the sexes that are entertaining on an equally enjoyable level.

The best way to explain this however is to point out the main character of the film, Ethan (played by Ross McCall) a down to earth guy who strives to become successful at what he loves which is directing films, he hops to make something of himself in the LA scene so that he can provide for the woman he loves, however his pure unconditional love towards her may not be a mutual feeling she shares for him and thus not being enough a man to hold on to her as his one and only. And eventually leaves him for not wanting to give up his dreams for a nine to five job, after his break up he is deeply heartbroken and feeling out luck, and it’s up to his though as nails misogynistic brother, Kyle (Played by Paul J. Alessi) and his close friends Patricia, Russell, and Renee (Played by Amie Barsky, Omar Gooding, and Danielle Nicolet) to help and support him through this ordeal. While his friends assure him he’ll meet someone better and more fitting for him, his brother on the other hand convinces him that it’s his own fault for losing his woman because he was weak and not able to be a real man about it. This lead to him seeking guidance from his brother to become the ultimate mans man. However between his brother trying to change him into something new and his friends influencing him to remain being the sweet and sensitive guy he is, Ethan learn a few new things about life as well as a few things about himself in the process and gains the confidence to become the man he was meant to be. The film itself is touching and informative and will have any gathering of friends and family laughing and full of enjoyment because just about anyone can relate to the characters or the situations in this film, I personally feel the film is up lifting to both men and women alike and is to a certain sense inspirational to the very core of our human nature.

As for the acting: This is where a film normally will get major criticism from me, because the choice in actors or their acting ability can either make a film or in most cases break it. Fortunately for this film, I was very impressed with the overall acting choices because they matched their role quite nicely. Ross McCall was fantastic in the lead role of ‘Ethan’, he gave an authentic performances that was sympathetic and empowering, you couldn’t help but feel for the guy, which clearly shows how well of a performance he gave. Paul J. Alessi was outstanding in the role of ‘Kyle’, he pretty much is the strength behind the film because his character is a testament to being the ultimate man, men around will come to envy him for his arrogant attitude towards life in general in the film because he is not afraid to be himself no matter where he is, and Alessi and McCall’s chemistry works great in the film playing brothers and there are times in the film where you’ll actually believe that these two men are in fact siblings. Amie Barsky who plays the character ‘Patricia’ who is ‘Ethan’s’ female fiend and opposite Alessi’s character in terms of opinions, was fantastic, she gives justice to free thinking women in her performance which I feel was empowering to women everywhere. Omar Gooding was the great in the role of ‘Russell’ and really left an impression on me with his performance, it’s never a dull moment when he’s on screen and he really contributes hard honest dedication to his character and as far as I’m concerned, he has really come out onto his own as an actor. Danielle Nicolet was wonderfully delightful as ‘Renee’, I admit though that when I first saw her acting some years back I was not pleased with her, and my original opinion on her was that she was nothing more than a talentless actress without a chance of hope, however my view on her has dramatically changed after seeing this film, I see now there is in fact hope for her after all, she has made me a fan. Serah D'Laine was really good in the film as McCall’s love interest ‘Erica’, though I can’t fully judge or compare her acting because I haven’t seen any of her other works, I will say that she was very delightful in the film and really does make herself know to the viewers onscreen. Justin Baldoni and Jennifer Alden where equally fantastic in the film and serves as the film’s main antagonists and does so very well in terms of making you love to hate them.

Final Say: Knuckle Draggers was a very enjoyable film. I never thought I would have had so much fun with it, and even left me surprisingly smiling at the end which was a rare thing indeed, for a film that is made on an indie level, I was surprised at how it surpasses the quality of many big budget mainstream films. Knuckle Draggers is defiantly a driving force to be reckoned with. I highly recommend it!

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